Welsh Study of Mothers and Babies Cardiology Follow-Up: Sub-study 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Welsh Study of Mothers and Babies. Examining the association between cardiac echogenic foci at the 18-20 week antenatal fetal anomaly scan and cardiac disease in early childhood: An electronic record-linked cohort study. Sub-study 1: Obtaining scan images for further classification of the cardiac echogenic foci
IRAS ID
265327
Contact name
Lisa Hurt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research Integrity, Governance and Ethics Team, Research and Innovation Services, Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 29 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Pregnant women have an ultrasound scan when they are about 20 weeks pregnant (the "fetal anomaly scan"). The purpose of this is to look for problems with the baby, such as abnormal development of the heart. We’re not sure if some of the changes we see on this scan mean that the baby has a health problem. For example, we sometimes see bright spots in the baby’s heart. These are called “cardiac echogenic foci”. We don’t know if seeing these means that the baby will have heart problems when they are born.
We are following a group of children in Wales who had these bright spots on their scans, and a group of children who did not, until they are ten years old to see whether children with these spots have more heart and other health problems than the children who did not.
In this sub-study, we would like to re-look at the pictures taken during the ultrasound at 20 weeks pregnancy for some of the mothers recruited into the Welsh Study of Mothers and Babies. This is because, since the original data collection, it has been suggested that certain features of the bright spots (for example, more than one spot, or spots in certain areas of the heart) are more likely to be linked with heart problems. Once we have the extra information from the scans, we will be able to look to see whether these features help to predict which children have heart problems in childhood.
The data from the study will help doctors to know how to treat mothers and babies when we see these spots on the pregnancy scan. The information will also help families to understand and not feel so worried after the scan.
Summary of Results
No data were collected in this study due to capacity issues within the NHS. There are therefore no results to report.
REC name
Wales REC 3
REC reference
21/WA/0090
Date of REC Opinion
21 Apr 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion